Job description and person specification alignment: The unlikely hero in the search for high performance
Job description and person specification alignment: the unlikely hero in the search for high performance Russell Connor and Rosemarie McGuire Ask any CEO what his or her ideal HR department would be able to deliver and the responses are most certain to include: p rovide a high performance workforce e quip the line managers with tools to manage their people that are easy to use and really work d evelop and implement policies that serve the organisation well. Yet, decades after CEOs have asked for this, few HR departments have really delivered. Many HR professionals claim to have the answers for providing a high performance workforce, but relatively few organisations have processes in place that really nurture or enhance performance. Research consistently shows that employees are more likely to be more demotivated than motivated by their performance appraisal systems. The services provided today by modern HR departments bear little resemblance to 40 years ago when the emphasis was mainly on welfare provision. Since then the model of the personnel manager providing a general service to a unit or geographical area has been swept aside by the creation of shared services, centres of expertise, resource centres, employee self-service and business partners. Yet despite the many changes to the form and the function, human resources leaders have often failed to show the link to performance. Driven by the need for cost reduction, HR functions have often outsourced “transactional” services to concentrate on more strategic issues. One service which is often considered to be transactional is recruitment. This vital but time-consuming process involves the “chore” of writing clear job descriptions and person specifications. Job descriptions and person specifications are the building blocks of organisations. It is argued here that, in striving for efficiency and cost reduction, HR functions have neglected the basis on which high performance is established, namely; by creating the dynamic link between jobs and people.
The job description When jobs have clearly defined accountabilities; when
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people are capable of undertaking these; when they want to do so and are given the appropriate space to do so, human endeavour can produce the most remarkable achievements. In any organisation the specification of jobs is essential to both the organisation and the individuals working in it. The job description is the formal written document that defines the job-holder’s responsibility to operate within his or her job boundaries and defines what specifically the job-holder can be held accountable for. Accountabilities are the critical component. Allocating these clearly without gaps and overlaps is the foundation of high performance. When the accountabilities in jobs are clear, job descriptions then become the basis for: recruitment t arget setting
p erformance planning and management f it-for-purpose organisational design and structures. In some organisations, job descriptions (especially those that list a set of tasks) have fallen into a state of neglect as they were seen as constraining change. However, well-written job descriptions are the building blocks of efficient and effective organisations. They define the “space” for innovation and unless the jobs fit together well, the organisation is unlikely to achieve its purpose. Writing a description that fully captures the requirements of jobs can be difficult. As such, it is easy to default to a list of tasks and activities rather than to set the boundaries, purpose and value-add of the job. Without a common framework and clear definitions regarding the terms used, it is easy for the job description to become a bland statement, over-engineered and ill-matched for the performance required. Well-written job descriptions provide clarity to the jobholder regarding the following. Purpose. The reason that people are employed is to produce output, with the underlying goal being to create economic value. The purpose is a high level statement of why the job exists and its link to what really matters to the organisation; be that cost reduction, improvement in quality/service or the development of new approaches.
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Job description and person specification alignment: The unlikely hero in the search for high performance
Responsibility. Unless employees know clearly what they are responsible for producing from their work the organisation cannot achieve its goals. The key responsibility areas (KRAs) are the broad areas of the organisation for which the job-holder has responsibility. Accountability. This is a more specific term than responsibility and relates to outputs. Put simply, accountability is what you can be held to account for. It is what you own. Put brutally, it is what you can be fired for not doing. A factory manager is responsible for the production of product from within the factory but is likely to be accountable for the cost, quality and timeliness of delivery. In high performance organisations, accountabilities are not shared but others can help in the achievement of these. Resources. This describes the resources that the job-holder is responsible for or uses to achieve his or her aims. Resources can include assets, people and information as well as equipment and tools. P roblems encountered. This describes the type of problems and the critical incidents that are faced. As jobs increase in size and scope, the problems that have to be dealt with move from being predictable and concrete to new and abstract. S cope for innovation and change. This describes the requirement for initiating, creating change and innovating. While some freedom to initiate change may exist within all jobs, not all job-holders have the discretion to make significant changes, to innovate or to ensure that creative ideas are implemented. As jobs increase in size and scope, there is greater opportunity to identify breakthrough innovations and developments. I nternal interaction. This describes the requirement for interacting internally with others across the total organisation and the degree to which it is necessary to influence others in order to deliver on accountabilities. In many jobs individuals tend to interact with others to deliver outputs that are localised. As jobs increase in size and scope there is a greater requirement to collaborate, influence and build relationships within an extensive network to deliver outputs that are international or even global. E xternal interaction. This describes the requirement for interacting externally with others. This includes consumers, customers, suppliers and significant external organisations, and other stakeholder groups. In many jobs there are clearly defined external contacts and clear remits such as suppliers and customers. At the higher levels, jobs have to influence national, regional or international organisations or authorities whose policies may have a significant impact on business results.
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D elegated decision rights. Job-holders need to know the “elbow-room” that they have to work within. They need to know the decisions that they can make and those that need to be referred to others.
Job descriptions and performance management systems A job description sets out the boundaries of the job and is an essential element in the annual performance management system. Performance management needs to start with the boundaries and accountabilities being clear. From this it is possible to complete the job specification by setting targets and specifying the resource allocation. Objectivity and transparency is paramount in any performance management system. Systems that are transparent and meaningful include the following: P erformance measures. Measurements that provide indicators that you are on track and building and driving value for the organisation. Performance measures provide clarity and objectivity and promote teamwork. T argets. Targets set clear goals and give employees direction. Targets are powerful communication tools, informing the whole organisation of the expectations of levels of performance to achieve success. Targets can also be used as an employee motivation tool in a job. However, it is important to define what type of target is being set. These range from big audacious goals, through stretch targets to highly achievable incremental improvement targets. Constraints and resources. While the job description sets out the broad resources available to the jobholder, the actual budget or headcount or database information can change over time. A performance cycle should start by defining the inputs and resources that need to be utilised to provide a return.
Job descriptions and person specifications The job description provides clarity as to the outputs of the job. When these are clear, it is possible to specify the inputs needed and the personal requirements including the necessary skills and knowledge. A person specification is the matching side of the job specification. When these tools work in harmony they provide the basis for: o rganisational development and design solutions a ssessment, selection, and hiring processes/systems s uccession plans/programmes p erformance evaluation t raining and development systems.
May 2010 Developing HR Strategy
Job description and person specification alignment: The unlikely hero in the search for high performance
However, when job descriptions are bland or written for the sole purpose of job evaluation, the person specifications can be neglected or default to broad or unspecific personal traits or requirements. Rather than job descriptions and person specification dovetailing together, there is often a systematic disconnect in the ways that jobs and people are described. This is especially the case if the person specifically focuses on the personal qualities and personality factors that are considered to be important. When this happens they are likely to contain many statements such as “enthusiastic self-starter” or
Developing HR Strategy May 2010
“team-player”. These generic metaphors can cause misalignment between the job and the person with negative and expensive results for the organisation.
Making the connection To make the dynamic link between jobs and people it is necessary to take into account the complexity of the decision-making environment. Once this is established, it not only clarifies the types of decisions that need to be made and the outputs of these, it also identifies the thinking skills and mental flexibility needed to operate successfully within a given context.
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Job description and person specification alignment: The unlikely hero in the search for high performance
Once thinking and mental flexibility are clearly defined they become vital ingredients in determining a person’s potential for work. Levels of work is a management system that clearly articulates the complexity of the decision-making environment. Within this, all jobs and people can be allocated to one of a number of levels. This measurement ensures that accountabilities are clearly defined and that people are placed into jobs where they can make their maximum contribution to the organisation. Levels of work is used in many large organisations including BHP Billiton, G4S, Prudential Assurance, Huntsman, Anglo-American, Unilever and Tesco. Unlike most other systems provided by well known consultancies, Levels of work makes a direct connection between the type of work undertaken and the capability of the person to undertake this. The essence of the framework is that work and people are described in consistent ways using shared concepts and a common language.
Conclusion With the effects of the global recession still being felt, CEOs are beginning to question the value of their HR functions. At the same time, it is also possible to detect that HR professionals are feeling the squeeze from adopting cost leadership models. Despite significant cost constraints, HR professionals as a whole can create change in their environments paradoxically by focusing on aspects that were once considered “transactional”. We all know the expression, “look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves”. In HR there should be a variation on this theme, namely; “look after the job and person specifications and then you can look after the organisation”. Job and person specifications can be used by HR departments to enable and sustain high performance. By adopting a system that aligns these vital ingredients and provides the means to measure the match, HR can provide the organisation with the services that all CEOs should be seeking.
Russell is the Managing Director of Dynamic Link. Dynamic Link uses a Levels of work framework to help build organisations that last. Russell has over 30 years’ experience of working and consulting for both national and multi-national organisations. He has been influenced by Levels of work ideas first expounded by Elliott Jaques. It was at the London School of Economics that Russell was first introduced to the pioneering thoughts of Jaques and, many years later, was reintroduced to his work through an association with the Brunel Institute of Organisation and Social Science. Russell has developed Global Profiling System. This is a Levels of work classification and measurement system and is designed to transform the way that people and jobs are matched. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from University College, London and post-graduate qualifications in Personnel Management gained from the London School of Economics. Russell is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has a Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from Regent’s College, London. Rosemarie is the Partner, Head of Practice at Dynamic Link working with organisations to provide holistic solutions and systems. Rosemarie McGuire is an International Human Resources executive with over 25 years’ experience. A graduate of the University of Toronto with a major in Employment Relations, Rosemarie is now residing in London and is completing her PhD in Personnel and Development at the London Metropolitan Business School.
Points to ponder • To what extent do you agree that job descriptions are a building block of high performance? • What else do you think needs to be in place for this to be achieved in your organisation?
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May 2010 Developing HR Strategy